Dependency on Online Surveys for Market Research is Not Enough

The real fact about the online survey is that the rapid evolution of survey technology offers incredible opportunities for online surveys. However, the current reality of overdose may require researchers to add-on online surveys one step beyond the Internet and return to the real world.

Let’s see how too much dependency on an online survey for market research is not enough:

Real-time SurveysIn online surveys, most invitations links via mail/message are sent after the event or experience of the respondent is done.

In the case of a customer satisfaction survey, if the survey link sent automatically by email after the purchase: the chance that the respondent opens an email is probably several hours or days later and completes the survey, remembering their experience.

But when the user is asked about the experience while they are still experiencing the moment of purchasing/buying, their responses are usually more real and direct.

Wrong demographic dataIn contrast to the study in which the researcher interviews the user, online surveys depend on people to be honest about basic demographic information such as age, gender, and race. Because people are not always honest, it can lead to inaccuracies in the data. Surveys sent to people who have been pre-selected will not have the same degree of inaccuracy.

A personal touchIn the world of online gadgets, small offline communication can warm up the soul. Offline research is seen by friendly interviewers who approach respondents with tablets and smiles, looking for a real conversation. Will many people still refuse this request? Of course! But in contrast to upcoming respondents by sending another email and another link to the website, is it so crazy to think that offline surveys can actually be a positive break for some people?

Technical glitchSometimes technical problems can affect the quality of online survey service. Pages may stop working and servers may be overloaded. Surveys may have technical problems that are not visible until significant errors appear in the data.

Individuals can submit surveys twice, which can lead to data errors. Individuals who participate in surveys may also have a different degree of technical knowledge, which leads to user errors in some cases, such as selecting a "back" button in the browser, which may reset the survey.

However GoSurvey requires No Internet connection while conducting surveys, data is safely stored in the app until the device is connected to the internet.

Do not use a random sampleOnline surveys that are not sent to the targeted audience selected as part of the sample pool, they are targeted at people who match a specific demographic group, which will be selected depending on the interest in the product or subject. Online surveys, due to their nature, exclude people who do not speak English. This kind of research cannot be considered scientific because a random sample cannot be obtained.

Attract by offering incentivesDepending on the type of study and recipients of the study, offering incentives is usually very effective in improving response rates. People like the idea to get something for their time.

Cash incentives are a common feature in survey research; yet, their utility and the ethics surrounding use of incentives is in controversy. - Sean O. Hogan RTI International

One reservation is to maintain incentives in the appropriate scope. Too large incentives can lead to undesirable behavior, for example, people lying about demographic data, not to be removed from the survey.

ConclusionBlurred goals lead to fuzzy results, and the last thing you want to achieve is a set of results that do not give you any real value for raising your decisions. Good surveys focus on goals that are easily understood.

So how can your survey stand out?

Make sure your questions are on the topic and avoid using jargon. "When was the last time you used our service”

In case if your business has any acronyms you should never assume that your survey users are just as well versed with your acronyms as you are.

Short and focused helps both the quality and quantity of answers. In general, it is better to focus on one goal than to try to create a main survey covering many goals.

Something can be said about the old school survey method: it's harder to say "No" to the real person's interview request than to ignore one of the hundreds of online links viewed online each day. There is a reason why the face-to-face conversation is often referred to as "interception". You literally catch the respondent in the middle of the day and you are noticed.

Make sure you test your survey among several members of the target group and/or colleagues to find faults and unexpected interpretations of the questions.

NOTE: “One reservation is to maintain incentives in the appropriate scope. Too large incentives can lead to undesirable behavior, for example, people lying about demographic data, not to be removed from the survey”